Subsequent to the conclusion of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union produced a huge volume of badges for the veterans to commemorate the units and battles in which they participated. The following are some of them.

PARTISAN

CAVALRY

LENINGRAD FEMALE SNIPERS

KARELIA FRONT

AVIATION

SHOCK ARMIES

ARTILLERY

ARTILLERY

LENINGRAD FRONT

50TH ANNIV

A photo of a Russian naval veteran wearing his medals and veteran badges at the Russian Club in Tallinn. He was a young officer in the Russian Baltic fleet during WW II.

My favorite “День Победа” celebration was the one held at Vake Park in Tbilisi, Georgia. At the time I attended these celebrations they were free of political rancor. Below are scenes from May 9, 2009 celebration. The monument on the hill is a memorial to the Georgians who fought in the Great Patriotic War. Georgia lost over 300,000 troops fighting against the Germans, and almost every village has a monument, to their fallen sons and daughters. Some of the greatest heroes of the Red Army were Georgians, and one of the group of Red Army soldiers who raised the flag on the ruins of the Nazi Reichstag was a Georgian. It’s a shame that Saakashvili’s misguided policies with respect to Russia have resulted in an unfortunate break in the historically good relations between the Georgian and Russian peoples. These photos were taken by my friend Ms. Sopo Gurgenidze. A great Georgian lady and a patriot.

The day is May 9th, “День Победа”, “Day of Victory”. Soon the entire monument would be surrounded by flowers stuck in the ground. Young generations would sings war-era songs, and the old war veterans would remember their parted comrades. I tried to attend all the celebrations in each of the countries in which I worked.

A Georgian heroine of WW II with a picture of the time she served in the Red Army. Her generation was heroic, but, that can not be said of the present, who during the brief August 2008 war, abandoned their positions and tanks at the first sight of the approaching Russian troops and walked away. Many Georgians felt abandoned by America during their brief August 2008 war with Russia.

“Swallow”, Russian Army Chorus

1980 “Thank You” Certificate to Veterans

MEMORIES OF DAYS LONG AGO - MEMORIES OF DEEDS NEVER FORGOTTEN - MEMORIES OF COMRADES DEPARTED - MEMORIES OF A GLORIOUS PAST WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG AND HEROIC.